Toy baseball game



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1,585,556 J. H. MARKHAM ET AL TOY BASEBALL GAME 5 Filed June 1 5 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JAMEs H MRRKHRM.

filrrruua M. RUGH m ATTORNEYS? May 18,1926. I 1,585,556

J. H. MARKHAM ET AL TOY BASEBALL GAME Filed June 15, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HG. 7 Jamss HMRRKmm- ARTHvRM. Rucnrz. B

G L: ATTORNEYS.

Fatentecl May 13, 1926.

JAMES H. IvIARKHAItE AND ARTHUR IVI. OR'UGAB, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

TOY BASEBALL GAME.

Application filed June 15, 19%35. Serial No. 37,030.

()ur invention is a toy baseball game in which a representation of a baseball diamond and field is set up on table and a ball is rolled from the pitchers box towards the plate and the batter releases a spring actuated bat to strike the ball, The game is one of skill in both the pitching and striking of the ball, that is, unless the person playing the part of the pitcher rolls the ball to count strikes without the ball being hit, the skill of the person batting will probably win runs for the batters team. The game has certain hazards representing field and instop catches which would put the batter out.

Our invention is preferably mounted on a sectional table having tour parts joined together at the center lines to represent a base call field in which one oi the corners or sections represents a baseball diamond. The legs of the table are preferably folded so that the sections may be stacked together for storage or transporting, The plate is represented by a slight inclined plane with box at the back to catch the ball and a spring actuated bat is mounted adjacent the incline so that on release of the bat the spring will cause it to strike the ball. The bat may be utilized tohit straight or strike balls as well as throws which would not exactly cross the plate but be called balls.

.The baseball field is provided with a fence at the outside edges and with 1 lines. The fields have apertures provided therein with a low partition at the back and a suspended fabric bag to indicate field catches when the ball rolls into such apertures. The infield along the line preterably of the runs from first to second, and second to third, base have a plurality of small apertures with partitions at the back thereof to indicate infield catches when the ball after being struck rolls into these apertures or receptacles.

'lhe ball is pitched by the use of a grooved slat having a recess at its upper end to engage and hold the ball and a handle secured in a mid-position to the slat ext-ending at right angles therefrom so that a player may incline the slat until the ball rolls out of the recess following thegroove, The player acting as pitcherniay thus aim the ball at the home plate to endeavor to trating the baseball field and the game as a whole,

Figure 2 represents the home plate and the "catchefi and is a vertical longitudinal section on the lines 22 of Figures 3 and l showing the inclined plane for the ball to roll up and the elongated box forming the plate and the catcher.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of Figure in the direction of the arrow 3 showing the back-stop arrangement for the catcher.

Figure at is a plan of part of Figures 2 and 3 as it in the direction of arrow 4t ct Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a developed view of one of the partitions forming part of the in or out field catching receptacles.

l igure (l is a side elevation of the table with the fence and toul? lines removed to illustrate the construction of the folding and deinountable table.

Figure 7 is a bottom view of the table slowing the legs folded and the cleats to fasten the sections of the table together.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the sections of the field stacked taken in the direction oi the arrow 8 of Figure 9.

Figure 9 is an elevation of the stacked sections of the table in the direction 'ot the arrow 9 in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a plan of the pitching device showing the grooved slat the receptacle in the end taereoi and the handle.

-Figure 11 is an end view of the pitching device taken in the direction of the arrow 11 of Figure 10 showing the slat in side elevation,

Figure 12 is an end view of the slat taken in the direction ot the arrow 12 in Figure 10. a

Figure 13 is a side view of the detachable handle,

Figure 14 is a section through the batting device illustrating the spring actuation ot the bat and the trigger release to be operated by the batter, as if taken on the line 141l of Figure in the direct-ion of the arrow.

Figure 15 is a bottom view of Figure 14 in the direction of the arrow 15..

Figure 16 is an elevation of the bat shouingth-e. squaredcndto wind the spring and to eau.-.e the actuation of the bat.

Figure 1? is a plan of the bat in the direction of the arrow 17 of Figure 16.

Figure 1B is a side view ofthe triggerbutton to be pressed by the batter to cause the swinging of thebat;

lieferring particularly to Figure 1 the baseball field is designated generally by the immoral 1 having the diamond 52 marked out in onecorn'enthe right center left field being indicated by the numerals 3, a, and 5. The pitchers box is indicated by the numeral 6, the home-plate by the position 7 and the first, second and third bases by the numerals 8, 9. and 10. The fence 11' is forined by a strip of cloth secured at its upper endto a; post 12in. the centerlield corner, the diagonal posts l3'secured at the right and left fields engage the. upper edge of the cloth which is stretched. to a point 14 positioned some place adjacent the diamond. A. series'of buttons 15 secure the lower edge of the cloth strip thereby forming the fence.

The foul lines are indicated by the painted lines on the diamond from home plate to first and third bases and by cardboard partitions. 16 which are' formed with tongues 17 fitting into slot-s in the surface of the table, thus any balls struck going betwcenthepartition 16 and the portion of the fence along the-right and left fields would be count'ed as a foul.

The catches in the-right, center and left fields are designatedby the numeral 18 and are formed by large openings 19 through the tableto'which is secured cotton fabric 20 toforni a pocket or receptacle. To increase the hazard flexible wall strips 21 are inserted on the far'side of the openings 19 to stop any balls which might be struck sutliciently hard to pass across the openings without falling into the pockets. These strips may be bent into position and. are provided with a small metal socket 522 which forms a groove with twofianges and with recessed corners 23 to engage the material forming the-top of the table and thereby hold the small wall sections into position.

The infield catches 2 1 which are preferably situated adjacent the'running lines between the first andsecond, and second and third bases are constructed in the same manner as the outfield catches 18.

The home plate and the strike catcher 25 is formed from a smallelongated box 26 having a base 27 and inclined front edge 28, side walls29, back wall 30. A catcher partition 31 is attached to the back wall by being formed with a tongue which may be inserted over the inside of the back wall. The inclined surface is carpeted with a roughened strip 33 of flat fabric so that the ball with which the game is played will more readily be guided up; the incline. A pair of nails 3% secured to the base 2? are positioned to be inserted in sockets in the table, and thus hold the home plate device in its proper position. (Reference is directed particularly to Figures :2, 3 and 4:)

The-pitching device, as shown inFigure 10 is const-ructed'of a grooved slat 35, having a socket 36 atitsupper end, and bevelled at its lower end 37, the groove being indicated by the numeral38. The slat is enlarged at the back having a lug 39 with a dove-tailed groove &'0 extending transversely across the. slab. The handle ll is preferably formed of wood and has a key shaped end to form a tight fit in the dove-tail groove at) so that the'handle and the slat may be securedtogether. In operating the device a li -"ht ball, preferably made ,of cork is inserted in the socket 36 and the player positions the lower end in the pitcher's box 0 and then raises the socket end until the ball rolls out of the socket down the groove. The pitcher operating the handle i1 may give slow or fast balls by raising the slat slowly until the ball will merely topple out of the socket 36, or he may raise the end rapidly so that as the ball rolls out of the socket he increases the inclination of the slab before the'ball reaches the table.

The batting device as shown particularly in Figures 1a to 18, comprises a bat 1 3 formed with a curved striking face 14-. a vertical stem a5 and asquared end 46. This stem is fitted through an aperture l? in the top of-the table and passes through a fixed plate 4C8 and through the rotatable sleeve 49. A. disc is secured at the lower end of the sleeve 49 which projects below the plate 48 and a dog 51 is secured to the disc, such disc having a squared socket 52 to engage the squared end do of the bat. A coiled spring is secured to the sleeve 49 and in a fixed position 54: to the bottom of the table. A pawl 55 pivotally mounted on the plate ad by the pintle 56 has a tooth 57 to engage the dog 51-. A tension spring 58 normally presses the tooth inwardly. A bell crank trigger 59 is carried by a. pivotpin 60 on thebottom of the table and has av trigger end 61 to engage the end 62 of the pawl. A slidable ste1n63 having a button 6i at its outer end is slidable through an aperture 65 in the table.

The pitching device is wound up by in serting the bat into the position described above, and turning it to give an additional twist to the spring 53 which is always tenthe dog 51 so that the sleeve 49 and the bat may rotate until the stop pin 66 engages the dog 51 and thereby prevents unwinding the spring 58.

lihe construction of the table to mount the baseball game is preferably demount able when formed in sect-ions. (See particularly Figures 1, (i, 7, 8 and 9.) The diamond, right center and left field sections preferably form the four section-s of the table, each section having a rim 'Z'O around its periphery. A pin '71 across each outside corner, a leg 72 pivoted thereon, and having resilient braces TS extending through an aperture 7% in the leg, and having lingers 75 to engage in sockets 76 in the rim of the sections. A cleat 77 having thumb screws 78 secures the four sections together along one diametrical line and the cleat 79 having a recess therein where it passes over the cleat 77 is also secured by thumb screws 80 to the table sections on the other diametrical line. (SeeFigures (3 and 7,) It will thus be seen that the sections of the table may be taken apart and stacked as shown in Figures 8 and 9. Practically all the elements of construction, including the pitching device, and the walls at the field catching pockets may be stored in the space at the back of each section of the table. Thus the device may be packed conveniently for shipping or transport or storage.

Our invention may be materially changed in details without departing from the spirit thereof and may not be made sectional and demountable unless desired.

The game may be played by any number up to nine of players on a team, each player being represented by a man comprising a numbered or initialed disc or the like. Various rules may be util.ized,-over the fence giving a home run, a hit into the far corner of the center field giving a two-base hit, and the others giving a one-base hit, or such other rules.

Having described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A baseball game comprising in combination a table having a top painted to represent a baseball field, having a diamond in one corner, plurality of openings in the iield portions, pockets in said openings and walls at the back of the pockets and immediately adjacent thereto positioned to stop balls and deflect them into the pockets in which the walls are formed by flexible strips with means to detachably secure the strips to the edge of the openings.

2. In a baseball game comprising a pitching device having a slat with a recess at one end and a groove along which a ball may roll, a home plate and catching device having an elongated box with an inclined end facing the pitching device and means adapted to strike a ball after rolling up the said incline.

3. In a baseball game, as claimed in claim 2, in which the means to strike the ball comprises a pivotally mounted bat, a spring to actuate the bat, means to tension the spring and a trigger mechanism to release the spring and thereby causing the swing ing of the bat.

a A batting device for a baseball game comprising a bat, a vertical stem connected th reto, a rotary sleeve adapted to engage and hold the said stem, a spring tensioned to rotate the sleeve, a dog attached to the sleeve and a pawl positioned to engage the dog and a trigger mechanism to actuate the pawl to release the spring and thereby swing the hat.

5. A pitching device for a baseball game, comprising a slat having a groove therein and recesses at its upper end adapted to retain a ball, a dove-tailed cross .QI'OOVG in its lower face and a detachable handle secured in such dove-tailed groove.

6. In a baseball game, a home plate and catching device formed of an elongated box having an inclined end face, a back wall extending above and beyond the sides of the box adapted to catch a ball which may pass beside the box and means to retain the box on a table.

7. A baseball game comprising in combination a knock-down sectional. table formed in a plurality of separable sections, means to hold such sections together, a series of posts secured to the different sections, a strip of fabric stretched between the posts and the edges of the sections forming a fence and representations of a baseball diamond and a pair of partitions forming a foul line secured to two sections of the table.

In testimony whereof we ailix our signatures.

JAMES H. MARKHAM. ARTHUR M. CRUGAR. 

